Here are my thoughts on the ESPN-Rush controversy:
- Why did they hire Rush in the first place? Sure, he slightly boosted ratings, but the folks at ESPN simply had to know he'd say something controversial sooner or later. The people at MSNBC hired Savage and had to dump him soon after. Right-wing radio talk show hosts simply don't make for good TV (usually: see Sean Hannity).
- His comment was not racist. He didn't suggest that black QBs couldn't handle the job. He just said that McNabb was over-rated, and the reason for this was media liberalism. You may not agree with the premise, but it wasn't bigotry.
- Rush might have been right. McNabb hasn't been as good or as successful as one might gather by all the press attention surrounding him. No Super Bowl rings, a fairly mediocre QB rating. His errors are largely covered by a terrific defense. Sure, he runs like a champ, but he's not a running back; he's a QB.
- Rush wasn't the victim of censorship. ESPN made a business decision. The threat of boycotts made his continued employment untenable. Sorry, Rush: you were canned by the same free-market system you claim to have so much faith in. Those supporting the proposed boycott and demanding Rush's firing (like Howard Dean and General Clark) might not have been acting in a pure and decent fashion, but hey, that's life. Deal with it, and go back to your multi-million dollar radio career.
- What about the drugs? I could care less about some off-hand comment or a change in the ESPN pre-game roster. What about the possibility that Rush will find himself in handcuffs soemtime soon? What if the War on Drugs he supports leads him to lose his freedom? Ironic? You betcha. Stay tuned...
Article comments
1 - Howard Owens
I've been meaning to blog on it ... but you hit the main point I wanted to make ... personally, I disagree with Rush on the ability of McNabb, but the remark wasn't racist.
2 - debbie
I have to agree with both of you, I didn't think the comment was racist either. But if you are someone that hates Rush, you pounce on the word "black" and "not that great" and run for the endzone with it... making sure to spike the ball to give the illusion that you actually scored.
3 - bhw
Rush wasn't fired. He resigned, even after a senior VP at ESPN defended him. ESPN wasn't going to fire him because he upped their ratings by 10% over last year.
4 - Steve Rhodes
He was pushed out. Resign in this case was a face-saving word for fired. Just read the coverage or ESPN's acceptance statement.
A 10% gain in ratings wasn't impressive enough to counter the bad publicity or dislike of Rush by the other panelists.
5 - bhw
I did read the coverage, including the statement by an ESPN exec that said Rush was doing exactly what they hired him for: being opinionated.
6 - myron
I think Rush is wrong. I am black and I don't see the "media" as pumping up any particular player (white or black) to further a social agenda. Rush has a problem with affirmative action and minorities in general and it shows when he divulges his thoughts. I have never heard rush dismiss past or present violations of a persons civil rights in relation to their race. Rush is a throw-back to white men who are used to sitting in a whites only restaurant and suddenly being told they will have to share dining space with "minorities".
7 - Mac Diva
Of course Rush Limbaugh is wrong. If he were interested in McNabb's failings as an individual he wouldn't be crediting them to the alleged inferiority of a 'race.' What he said fit right into the old 'darkies are dumb' stereotype, i.e., a black person does not belong in the brainy position of quarterback, but blacks are just dandy for brawn, in linesman positions. What's next from this drug-addled clown -- a demand that we bring back slavery?
I blogged Limbaugh's remarks here back when he made them. I particularly urge RJ Elliott to read the entry. If more opinions are sought, the links to that one at SR are on PopDex.
8 - Sandra Smallson
I can't think of Rush Limbaugh without thinking of what Bette Midler said about him and his drug taking a few weeks ago on Jay Leno:) She started off by saying, "I am beside myself, devbastated, all these years Rush limabaugh has been telling me what to wear, where to go, how to think, what to say and I come to find all this time, he wasn't in his right mind"..LOL. I found that hilarious. I am not aware of this particular matter but I am aware of Rush and his judgmental radio show and to think after all thAT, he himself was up to no good. further proof of the extent of Hypocrisy in today's media.
9 - Simm
Maybe Rushs opinion was a little wrong. His comments, however, weren't racist. I don't like Rush and I'm not defending him on his behalf. I do know that anytime a white person says "black person" everyone perks up and gets nervous. He wasn't racist in his remarks, just not p.c.
10 - Mac Diva
B.S.!
11 - RJ Elliott
This is an oldie but a goodie...and relevant to the current Michael Irvin situation.
12 - Gary
Savage, Rush, now add Imus to list of loozers ?
MSNBC is not the place to mix celebrity with sports. our culture clash between thoz paid to play and thoz who pay to watch cannot be hoz n stupid even when tatooz r supoz to say who we is!
maybe game of life is just hoops n pigskins, while baseball wuz kids 'field of dreams'.
13 - Michael J. West
Oddly enough, I was about to say one of the same things (elsewhere) about Imus that RJ says herein about Rush: that he was fired for the purposes of business, not censorship. Sponsors dropping off made keeping him a financial liability, so they didn't keep him.
I should have known that there would one day come a time when I agreed with you on something, RJ.
14 - RJ
"I should have known that there would one day come a time when I agreed with you on something, RJ."
And the first horseman of the apocalypse appears...
;-)